The Nelson Evening Mail. MONDAY, APRIL 1, 1879.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIV, Issue 83, 7 April 1879, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. MONDAY, APRIL 1, 1879.

Tkirtt-seven years ago to-day, namely on the 7th April, 1842, the standard of Oddfellowship was first raised in New Zealand and the Loyal Nelson Lodge, the oldest in the colony, was founded. The surroundings were not encouraging: tbe first meeting was held in the high fern ou the hill side near the present Saltwater Bridge on the Haven Road, and the number of those who met for the purpose of implanting in the land of their adoption this most useful of Friendly Societies was but nine. It may be interesting at this distant period from the date of that little meeting to learn who those nine were, and from the following list it will be seen that but one now remains in the district, five having died, and three more left the colony. The names are as follows;— Eli , Cropper, killed at the Wairau massacre on , the 17th June, 1843) George Greathead, left for Australia in 1849; John Hanley, left for Australia in 1844; Alexander M'Gee, died September, 1855; Enoch Nicholls, left for Tasmania in 1847; Andrew Paterson, died in Canterbury in 1871; Thomas Sullivan, died December, 1865; Johua Sigley, died in 1873; Charles P. Kearns, now living in the Waimea! As they were not numerous, so also roust it be said of these founders of the Loyal Nelson Lodge that they were not wealthy. It was necessary to have a fund to start with and so they scraped together the little cash tbey could spare, and when the silver and copper coins were totalled up, they were found to amount in the aggregate to Fifteen Shillings. But they were stout of heart were these nine men, aud they were actuated by the earnest conviction, the resultof what they had seen of the working of Friendly Societies in the Old Country, that it was most desirable to extend their benefits to that new land where they then stood with the whole of the Lodge funds spread on the ground before them. So, nothing daunted, they laid the foundation of their Order in this district and, as we have said before, in New Zealand' where there waanotthenanother Lodge. That was thirty-3eveu years ago. Now, instead of nine men standing on a bleak hill sidebeing a full meeting of the solitary Lodge— and counting their combined capital by shillings, we find on reference to the last report that there are five Lodges iv the district, consisting of 580 members, and having a capital of £6,865 7s 3d, or an average of Xl i 16s l9d per member, as a sick and funeral fund on which to fall back should they ever require 3uch assistance. Great has been the progress made by Oddfellowship since its foundation in this district, and when the members feel disposed to congratulate themselves on the very satisfactory position in which they now stand, let them bestow a grateful thought upon those nine men who at three o'clock in the afternoon of this day thirty-seven years ago sowed that tiny seed which has since then developed into a flourishing tree, bearing fruit that has often proved so grateful to the breadwinner of the family in the time of sickness, as well as to the widow and orphan in their time of sorrow and need.